OpenSource

For years while Apple had proprietary system software, I was itching to get a Unix system underneath and have the ease of the windowing system. Well, after OsX was released, I was ecstatic. Why? Because of the ease of some tasks in Unix in comparison to other OS’s. This post is only one example of what you can do if you do a bit of research into how to use your Mac. For those who have un*x boxes, this will merely be a place-holder for a few AWK scripts for you.Read More »

In the time I’ve been doing my research work at the Univ. of IL, I’ve come across a number of graphs from various past researchers, older papers, stuck on the side of machines (calibration curves), and even hand-drawn or chart-recorder graphs in my numerous projects. The only major problem with those graphs I’ve found is that they aren’t in a digital form for further use with other data (instrument response functions) or to include in your own work as a reference. So, what to do?

Well, there’s an easy solution. It’s not the perfect solution, as it’s a bit slow, I’ll get to that in a second, but it’s a great solution to the problem, and has worked for me a number of times now. To top it off, it’s open-source, donation-ware, and cross-platform: Engauge Digitizer (see post at LifeHacker.com). Don’t let the website and lack of recent updates deter you. Tools that can do what Engauge does are few and far between. So, it is definitely worth a try. Here’s an example of how I’ve used it just the other day (prompting this post- I’ve used it for years now, but the recent use reminded me I should share it with others). [click "More" to see an example use and learn more]

A very quick one for today. I’ve recently attempted a compile of the open-source program QCad (Community Edition). Unfortunately, even with QT3Mac installed (via Fink) and a patch applied, QCAD is still not compiling under 10.4.7.

I was hoping to use it to edit and draw CAD files for the machine-shop. I may have to use the 10minute demos of the professional version to get the job done quickly. Sad, as I was really looking forward to a good open-sourced CAD software package. I use it infrequently, and definitely don’t need AutoCad.

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A Quick Introduction...

I'm a graduate student (PhD Candidate) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

I've studied and researched in two fields of Materials Science and Engineering (Polymers and Semiconductors). My interests are as diverse as my musical tastes and I usually have my hand in some crazy project during my free time.

I'm available for consulting and have access to a world-renown materials research user-facility supported by the D.O.E. If you would like to know more, please contact me.